Fantasy Island
Frustration about Picardy Place congestion and the charmless new ‘Fantasy Island’ at its centre ignited on social media over the weekend.
Over 50k X users viewed Spurtle’s brief attempt at positive thinking and later observation that sitters in the space are obliged to face outwards towards the traffic rather than inwards towards some unimaginative planting.
After yesterday's article, we thought we should mention that a notable feature of the new Picardy Place is that sitters are encouraged to face outwards, in quiet contemplation of the traffic.
Perhaps this says all we need to know about the interests and priorities of Fantasy Island's designers.
The state of Edinburgh’s public realm in general and Picardy Place in particular have come in for a lot of criticism lately.
As an experiment, we wondered whether a mix of sunshine, poetic perspective and positive thinking might change the way we feel about Broughton's newly created Fantasy Island.
See what you think.
On 16 August, local stakeholders met Council-appointed agents to discuss the future design of the Picardy Place island. In Issue 321, we published a measured account of those proceedings by Peter Williamson, who attended as Chair of the Picardy Place Residents Association.
LOCALS DISCUSS FUTURE USES
Twenty-eight people attended last night’s online meeting held by the Better Broughton group to discuss the future of Picardy Place.
Among them were three City Centre councillors: Karen Doran (vice-convener of the Transport & Environment Cmte), Joanna Mowat, and Claire Miller.
Members of the public will have a say in how the central island is developed in Picardy Place, writes Peter Williamson, chair of the Picardy Residents’ Association (PRA). Test.
The Council’s Transport & Environment Committee received a Progress Update on Edinburgh St James works on 5 December.
CAMPAIGNER PETER WILLIAMSON REFLECTS
On 25 January, the Council’s Transport & Environment Committee approved a revised design for Picardy Place centred upon a three-lane ‘gyratory’ traffic management system.
Proposals for a new gyratory on Picardy Place were approved at a meeting of the Transport & Environment Committee this morning. Councillors voted in favour by 9 votes to 2, with only the Scottish Greens against.
What follows is an impressionistic summary of the main points. For local-government enthusiasts whose Netflix subscriptions have run out, the whole meeting is available to enjoy here for free.
Deputations
New Picardy Place proposals emerged today in a report going before the Transport & Environment Committee on 25 January.
They may be the last.
The changes partly fulfil what the public asked for in the extended consultation process before Christmas, which drew around 1,000 responses from Edinburgh stakeholders and residents.
The 34-page report lists key features of the revision as:
Trevor Davies, formerly Edinburgh Council's Planning Convener (2003–2007) and now Honorary Professor of Urban Studies at Glasgow University, has been rather quiet of late about Picardy Place. Today, he breaks his silence.
Let’s take a step back
It is Edinburgh’s topography, its built heritage and its status as capital city that have attracted the skills and learning and investment which together make our city prosperous and of worldwide renown.